Yesterday, the home rental company Airbnb released a statement on their web site saying the company was removing Israeli owned listings from West Bank.
There are conflicting views regarding whether companies should be doing business in the occupied territories that are the subject of historical disputes between Israelis and Palestinians.
US law permits companies like Airbnb to engage in business in these territories. At the same time, many in the global community have stated that companies should not do business here because they believe companies should not profit on lands where people have been displaced. Others believe that companies should not withdraw business operations from these areas.
We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.
Our hope is that someday sooner rather than later, a framework is put in place where the entire global community is aligned so there will be a resolution to this historic conflict and a clear path forward for everybody to follow.
That means if you are a Palestinian that lives in this region – your listing is just fine and it sends a signal that the company believes Palestinians have a right to that land.
Many users of the service are boycotting over what they call blatant racism.
This is disgusting. I will not be searching accommodations on @Airbnb when I go to Israel next month.
— Ray Willig (@RayWillig) November 19, 2018
Just deactivated my @Airbnb account. The answer to absurd boycotts of Israel is to boycott the boycotters. Many of the areas affected will be part of Israel in any peace deal. I’d rather pay more in a hotel than subsidize antisemitism or support Palestinian terror. #BoycottAirbnb
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) November 19, 2018
I never jump on the boycott train, but this is absolute garbage and truthfully, the next trip we take would likely be to Israel and could very well be in that area to visit friends. @airbnb lost our business for sure.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) November 20, 2018
.@airbnb says it won't list places in "disputed territories" when those residences are owned by Jews, and not otherwise. That's not a policy about disputed territories, but about Jews.
— Eugene Kontorovich (@EVKontorovich) November 19, 2018
My relatives & I decided to remove all of our 43 listings in the US, Euroupe and Israel due to #Airbnb anti-semetic declaration. We are open to suggestions of other platforms to use instear until they change their decision.
— Shmuel Horwitz (@shmuelh1) November 19, 2018
How do we know @Airbnb's policy is pure antiSemitism?
1. Only delisting Jewish-owned properties.
2. Not delisting properties in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. https://t.co/zMlF8U5IoW— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) November 19, 2018